Toy cable car system



1951 A. BIANCHI ET AL TOY CABLE CAR SYSTEM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 5/ W W MNM if mn MH M Q HE 7. ML 4% y A Filed April 1, 1947 1951 A. BIANCHI ET AL TOY CABLE CAR SYSTEM 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 1, 1947 JNVEATORS 5 SE B/A/VCH/ L I? H HARMAN A T TOFNVE) Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED TOY CABLE CAR SYSTEM Ambrose Bianchi and Walter H. Harman, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 1, 1947, Serial No. 738,524

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy cable car sys-,. tem and particularly to a track and operating. mechanism by which miniature cars may be operated to simulate the function and appear-' ance of real cable cars.

The well known cable cars operated in the 1 city of San Francisco are propelled by a cable disposed in a groove or cable slot between the 'car tracks and driven from a central station. iEach car is provided with a gripping device extending into the cable slot and having a part cable when it is desired to move the car forwardly. The cable moves continuously and in} order to stop the car the gripping device is released from the cable and brakes are applied. This system of operation is diflicult to reproduce on a miniature or model scale and builders of toys and models have had to resort to other means such as the conventional electric:

controlled by the car operator for gripping the drive when producing operating models of cable;

cars.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a track and operating mechanism for miniature cable cars wherein the cars are drawn by 1 a sub-surface cable or cord and wherein cars can be operated continuously back and forth over a two track system with switch means at both ends. Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification and the manner in; which these objects are accomplished will also be disclosed therein by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a miniature cable car system embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a, plan view of the system shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of Fig. 2 illustrating the switch and reversing mechanism thereon;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the track taken and the manner in which a car is connected with V the cable; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the car connecting means.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a roadbed or street I0 is represented in miniature and is built of wood or other suitable material. Spaced grooves II, also shown in Fig. 5, form tracks to receive the flanges'of conventionally flanged miniature car wheels. Deeper grooves 12 disposed centrally between the track grooves i l are provided with enlarged areas ii. at their bottoms to serve as cable slots. The enlarged areas l3 are shown as'circular but may be of any suitable cross-sectional shape and receive an endless cable which in miniature is formed by a cord I 4. Cotton or nylon cord of twisted or preferably braided type has been found satisfactory for this purpose. As shown in Fig. 5, the street portion In may be made of three pieces of wood or the like joined centrally of the cable slots so that the slots might be formed onehalf on each of the joined pieces for assembly and the pieces may be glued or otherwise suitably secured together. It is also possible to make the cable slots by a router operation in a, single board with a suitably shaped tool. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the endless cable or cord M which passes through the cable slot follows a double track connected at its opposite ends by switches and the cable passes around sheaves l5 disposed beyond the switch position in each of the tracks. The endless cable is continuously driven by a drive pulley l6 actuated by an electric motor, shown in dotted lines at H in Fig. 2, and associated with any suitable speed reduction mechanism. As cable cars are generally employed on steep hills the track is preferably provided with a, central elevated portion as shown in Fig. 1 to provide up and down hill grades.

The car is provided with the usual dirigible or pivoted trucks at opposite ends and the wheels on these trucks follow the grooves I I which form the tracks. The means by which the car is connected with the cable in order to compel it to move along the tracks is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7 as a resilient pin [8 having an eye l9 formed at one end for its pivotal connection to the underside of the car and having a downwardly bent prong 20 at its opposite end. The pin is pivotally connected with the bottom of the car as by a screw 2| and its downwardly bent prong 20 is urged in a downward direction by resilience of the pin itself. The prong enters the cable slot so that its extreme pointed end engages the cable cord l4. As the car is of a miniature size and light construction this engagement is sumcient to cause it to be moved along the tracks with the movement of the cable. This simple connection between the car and cable is such that it enables the car to move continutrolling its forward movement. cable cord may pass several times around the by arrows. v on the'angula-rly disposed track of Fig. 3 moving straight track position illustrated in Fig. 3.

3 ously as it passes a gap in the cable where the drive means is interposed and also enables the car to negotiate the switches adjacent the ends of the tracks and to reverse its direction with the cable after it passes the switches. The man nor in which the car is caused to move continuously past the drive means is best illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the drive pulley i6 is shown as disposed directly beneath one of the tracks on a downward incline. Guide sheaves 23 are supported in a gap 24 formed below and communicating with the cable slot and the cable passes over one of these sheaves, then around the-drivepulley over the other sheave 23 and back into the cable slot. Consequently, the car, shown at 25 in Fig. 6 as moving down the incline, is'connected with the cable through its prong 25] until the cable passes over the uppermost sheave 23l Gravity then carries the car a very short distance of about a quarter of an inch until the prong 20 re enga'ges' the cable as it moves upwardly over the lowermost sheave 23. Thus, the continuous motion of the car is notperceptibly interrupted by its-release and i e-engagement of thecable con- If desired, the

drive pulley is to increase its frictional contact therewith.

The manner in which the car is switched and reversed is best understood from the enlarged view of the switching and reversing mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3. In thisfigure, the cable and car move along the tracks in the direction indicated As the car approaches the switch from right to left, its wheel engages a switch bar the-switch bar and extending through a recess disposed beneath the switch bar. The lower end of the spring 29 is anchored'by'beingimbed- (led in the wood at the bottom of the recess 30. With this simple construction that portion of the spring 29 disposed within the recess 30 is free for resilient action to urge the switch-bar to its The resiliency of the spring, however, permits the car to pass from the angular track onto the straight track'and when the car' has passed the switch and starts its movement in the opposite direction the position of the switch bar guides it along the straight track. The sheave l5 about which the cable cord passes is disposed beyond .the' switch position and as the prong 20 approaches the sheave I 5 it simply follows the cable around the sheave and the movementof the car is reversed. This is made .possible by thepivotal connection of the car connecting means with the bottom of the car. Identical switches are disposed at opposite ends of the track so that with the motor driving the cable cord continuously, a car placed on the trackand connected with the cable will operate from end to end of the track that they may be lengthened as much as'desired. It is also desirable that the straightendsof'the cars could continue their travel without it. is contemplated that miniature cable car systems of the kind disclosed herein will provide an at- 'tractive project for model makers and hobbyists and the parts for such a system may be produced in package or kit form for assembly by the purchaser. As thestraight or track portion may be several feet long, it may be made in short sections adapted to be connected by dovetail joints as indicated at 32 in Fig, 2. I j

y While the invention herein-"disclosed is illustrated in verysimple form, itis, of course, to beunderstood that various changes may be resorted to in the construction and arrangement of its several parts, all within the scope of the invention as it is definedby the appended claims.

We claim:

, 1. In a toy'cable car system double tracks for guiding the car, a car mounted for movement on the tracks, a cable slot interposed between and paralleling the tracks, an endless driving cable in said slot, means to drive the cable, a pin like connecting member having a pointed end depending from a support on the car for resilient engagement of said pointed-end with the cable to drive the car, the support for said connecting member permitting it to swing from side to side relativetov the car, and a sheave disposed in the cable slot about which the cable passes to reverse its direction whereby the car will come to a stop and start to move in the opposite direction as the connecting member follows the cable around said sheave.

2. Ina toy cable car system double tracks for guiding the car, a car mounted for movement on the tracks, a cable slot interposed between and paralleling the tracks, an endless driving cable in said slot, means to drive the cable and a pin likeconnecting member having a pointed end depending from a support on the car for resilient engagement of said pointed end with the cable to drive the car, the support for said connecting member permitting it to swing from side to side relative to the car.

AMBROSE BIANCHI.

WALTER H. HARMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Decker May 9,1939 

